Coconut Chess Pie
intro
A rich, gooey Southern American custard pie loaded with toasty coconut, with a buttery flaky crust and caramelized, perfectly set sweet filling.
Ingredients
Steps
Blind bake pie crust
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Press the unbaked pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish, crimping the edges decoratively, and prick the bottom all over with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Line the crust with parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, then bake 3 more minutes until the bottom is lightly set. Transfer to a wire rack while you prepare the filling.
Toast shredded coconut
Spread all 1 ⅔ cups (130g) of shredded coconut in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 4-5 minutes, stirring once at the 2-minute mark, until light golden brown and fragrant. Measure out 2 tablespoons (10g) of the toasted coconut and set aside in a small ramekin for topping; reserve the remaining coconut for the filling.
Whisk custard base
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons (20g) cornmeal, 1 tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour, and ¼ teaspoon (1g) salt until fully combined. Add the 4 room-temperature eggs, whisking until completely smooth, then stir in the cooled melted butter, ½ cup (120ml) coconut milk, 1 tablespoon (15ml) white vinegar, and 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla until no lumps remain.
Fold in toasted coconut
Add the remaining 1 ½ cups (120g) of toasted shredded coconut to the custard base, folding gently with a rubber spatula until the coconut is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Avoid overmixing to preserve the chewy, flaky texture of the coconut.
Bake assembled pie
Place the prebaked pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Pour the coconut custard filling evenly into the crust. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 45-50 minutes: the outer 3 inches of filling should be fully set, while the center 2 inches will have a soft, slight jiggle (it will set as it cools). If crust edges turn deep golden after 30 minutes of baking, wrap them in thin aluminum foil strips to prevent burning.
Cool and garnish pie
Remove the baked pie from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature for 2 full hours (do not refrigerate while warm, as this can cause the filling to crack). Before serving, sprinkle the reserved 2 tablespoons (10g) of toasted coconut evenly over the top of the pie.
Tips
2.Do not slice the pie before it cools for a full 2 hours at room temperature: the custard finishes setting as it cools, and early slicing will result in runny, messy slices.
3.Check the pie at the 30-minute bake mark: if the crimped crust edges are deep golden brown, wrap them in thin aluminum foil strips to prevent burning for the remaining bake time.
OMG this Classic Coconut Chess Pie was such a game changer for my church potluck last Sunday! I was scrambling for an easy dessert that didn’t require a million fancy ingredients, and this came together so fast even with my toddler hanging on my leg the whole time. The coconut flavor is perfectly sweet without being cloying, and every single person at the potluck asked me for the recipe. My kids devoured their slices and even fought over the last bite when I made a test batch the night before! SO good, will absolutely be adding this to my regular dessert rotation.
I’m usually terrible at baking pies—my crusts always burn, my fillings never set right, so I was super nervous to try this since the difficulty was marked easy and total cook time was only an hour and 15 minutes. Y’all, I was so wrong! The filling set perfectly, and the toasty coconut on top added the best crunch. I brought it to my neighbor’s Memorial Day cookout and everyone thought I bought it from a fancy bakery downtown. 10/10, even for someone who burns toast half the time, this recipe is totally foolproof.
Made this for my partner’s birthday dinner since coconut pie is his all-time favorite, and he said it’s better than the one his grandma used to make (don’t tell her I said that lol). I added a tiny pinch of extra nutmeg to the filling because I love that warm spice with coconut, and it paired so nicely with a dollop of freshly whipped cream on top. Super easy to throw together after work even on a weeknight, no fancy equipment needed at all. Will definitely be making this again for our next game night with friends!